This is an informal method of writing which helps verify if students have foreknowledge of certain topics. Have you ever used a grade calculator? This can help to know the areas from which to start teaching and to plan the lessons to be taught. It also helps in assessing students’ understanding of the new concepts that have been taught. Quick writes can be assigned during class or as short, out-of-class assignments. These help students remember, manage, and organize information and can be utilized in classroom lessons to help them communicate their experiences, thoughts, and reactions to what they’re learning and reading. If you have any questions about quick writes, let me know.
Improving student writing: Have you ever used a high school GPA calculator? Teachers can help students gain confidence by lowering the stakes using quick writes.
Being empathetic: The use of empathy is a useful persuasion technique. Readers are more inclined to believe the writer if they feel like the writer can understand and relate to their experiences. Emotional appeal is crucial for persuasive writing because it targets the audience’s sensibilities while giving a logical explanation for which their beliefs should change.
Developing soft skills beyond literacy: While literacy development is very important to students, teachers also need to help them develop as human beings. Quick writes that promote communication, creativity, critical thinking, understanding, mindfulness, empathy, and even collaboration help students achieve both of these. Teachers can use the following ideas for using quick writes in classrooms.
Promoting reflection: Teachers can use quick writes to inspire students to write honestly about themselves. Self-reflection can help students make wiser choices and increase their self-awareness.
Encouraging critical thinking: Students in several disciplines are asked to write research papers, essays, and speeches where they need to take a stand on a particular issue. They need to be able to make a claim and back up their position logically and clearly. Teachers can use quick writes to help students develop critical thinking by examining different points of view.
Additionally, students will probably be given particular guidelines for issues related to citations and format. They should always follow those instructions carefully. When I was a public school teacher, quick writes were my go-to strategy. It helped countless students learn how to become better writers and comprehend what they were writing.
Concluding Thoughts
Quick writes are a low-stakes writing exercise that, when well employed, can prove beneficial to the teacher and students. By giving students quick writes, they are able to showcase their knowledge without the pressure of grading or committing to the topics chosen. Quick writes are also a great way to help students collaborate on improving their writing skills in a safe environment. Teachers can also use quick writes to help students improve their critical thinking, and help develop their writing skills by minimizing the risk of writer’s block. By having students write material on new concepts introduced in class, the teacher can determine what students have understood, and what needs to be explored further.